Suntory, The Yamazaki, 12-Year-Old, Single Malt Whisky, Japan (43%)

Due to limited stocks, this spirit has been restricted to one case per customer.

Yamazaki Distillery was founded in 1923 and has become the iconic Japanese single malt whisky. Indeed, placing it in the top echelon of renowned whisky distilleries would be more than fair. This 12-year-old bottling has been the benchmark that others judge themselves against for many years. 

This is impeccable from every angle, with sweet nuttiness, complex spice, excellent length and a variety of fruit notes, from orchard to stewed and dried. As usual for Yamazaki, part of the maturation is in the fabled Mizunara oak, giving heady top notes to the gloriously coherent whole. Shouldn’t every whisky lover have a bottle of Yamazaki?

Rob Whitehead, Spirits Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (December 2022)